It's completely grounded in fantasy, but I kind of have this hope that more people will go the route of learning real skills again and find employment focused around local communities, creating durable goods, etc. I was talking to some really good friends the other day and we were talking about how much more satisfying and engaging work is when it's something physical. Not only is there a tangible product when you're finished, but you can see the progress you're making as you're doing it, motivating you to continue. I think there's probably similar effects when your job is community focused, because you can see first hand day in and day out the difference your job makes in your immediate life. Can people who do something like data processing say the same about their jobs?
A quote that stuck with me about capitalism is something along the lines of "There is a lot of work to be done in the world, and the fact it's not reflected as jobs is a big failing of the system". There is a huge gap IMO between the work that needs to be done on this planet (cleaning our oceans, planting forests, educating people, healing people) the jobs people do. The financial incentives are skewed in a terrible direction and it's a shame.
Programmers would disagree with your sentiment. And they will be the ones with the most job opportunities, along with engineers, and others in applied sciences in the near future. Meanwhile tangible goods will be created by robots, robots that are made by engineers and programmers. What you're talking about -- finding work that is personally satisfying, is something people would and should do as a hobby, or once something like UBI is in place. It's not entirely fantasy. There are less and less jobs due to automation. We will have to solve this problem eventually. I guess the alternative is total economic collapse.
Programmers, engieneers, and scientists are not immune to automation. Neither are people in the legal or medical fields. That shit is coming for all of us. The CEO of GitHub, which caters to coders, thinks automation will bring an end to traditional software programming "My group at work consists of six engineers. I'm certain that by 2030 it will be no more than four getting more work done than today. Automation won't replace us all right away, but it will reduce staff." I used the words "tangible" and "durable," which implies things like handmade, well crafted, made to last. Artisinal stuff, not factory built junk that you can get for cheap off of Amazon. When analysts talk about work, two words that often come up for happy employees is "satisfying" and "meaningful." They're key components to what are perceived as good jobs and important for worker satisfaction. The world's happiest jobs Malcolm Gladwell Says All Great Jobs Have These 3 Qualities That said, serious question, why should we not find our work to be satisfying? The chances of UBI happening are pretty slim, at least here in the states. We can't even get our healthcare or housing straight.Programmers would disagree with your sentiment. And they will be the ones with the most job opportunities, along with engineers, and others in applied sciences in the near future.
Meanwhile tangible goods will be created by robots, robots that are made by engineers and programmers.
What you're talking about -- finding work that is personally satisfying, is something people would and should do as a hobby,
once something like UBI is in place.